It is now time to review a case study that focuses on ethical behavior.
Access the Open APM’s ethics case study resource provided below to read a scenario concerning ethics in projects.
Can you pinpoint a few instances of professional conduct highlighted in this scenario? Reflect on the skills employed to integrate ethical considerations into the decisions made by the individuals involved. Can you recognize them?
Share your responses in the discussion section below.
After posting your comment, proceed to the next step, where you will find some potential answers provided by APM for these questions.
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william should have involved john in carrying out the engagement. Everyone has their own way of working, there should have been a meeting between the 3 parties to agree and setout the procedure, programme of work and oplan of work. They will be working on the project through out the duration of the project so they should be starting on a good term. There should be effective communicaton between them for the successful execution of the projects.
Acting Ethically in Project Management: A Discussion
Ethical behavior is essential in project management, ensuring integrity, transparency, fairness, and accountability. Acting ethically fosters trust, minimizes risks, and enhances stakeholder relationships. Key principles include honesty, open communication, equal treatment, responsibility, and respect for diverse perspectives.
Challenges such as stakeholder pressure, resource constraints, and conflicts of interest can threaten ethical conduct. To uphold ethical standards, organizations should establish clear guidelines, promote ethical leadership, and provide ethics training. By prioritizing ethical decision-making, project managers can strengthen credibility, improve project outcomes, and contribute to long-term sustainability and success.
In my own view, I could say that team spirit amongst the three project managers was poor
Williams neglected the fact that as project manager, team work is to be named among them
John and Karen was able to adapt and accommodate the other opponent, Williams behavior towards the project work even though there was lack of communication
The picture shows that there is a problem and there is lack of communication by the project manager, he has failed as a team leader, he just wanted things to be done his own way.
Issues of Professional Conduct:
1. Misrepresentation of project work: William’s claim that the engagement programme had already been carried out, when in fact it hadn’t, raises concerns about honesty and transparency.
2. Lack of objectivity: William’s involvement with the opinion research firm and his desire to please John and deliver the next stage of the project may have compromised the objectivity of the engagement programme.
3. Ignoring concerns and rushing to please stakeholders: William’s willingness to provide a report that would please John and the stakeholders, despite potential flaws, raises concerns about prioritizing stakeholder satisfaction over professional integrity.
Skills Used to Bring Ethics into Decisions
1. Critical thinking: Karen’s skepticism about the report’s findings and her decision to discuss her concerns with John demonstrate critical thinking.
2. Communication: Karen’s ability to express her concerns to John and John’s openness to listening demonstrate effective communication.
3. Collaboration: Karen and John’s joint effort to address the issue and find a solution demonstrates collaboration.
4. Professional courage: Karen’s willingness to speak up despite being new to the firm and still in her probation period demonstrates professional courage.
In the case study, a major ethical issue was conflict of interest, where a project manager had to choose between prioritizing company profits and ensuring worker safety. This created a dilemma, as prioritizing profits could lead to compromised safety standards, while prioritizing safety might increase costs and delay the project. Another issue was lack of transparency, where important risk-related information was not openly shared with stakeholders. This lack of openness could lead to uninformed decisions, negatively impacting both the project and the people involved. To address these issues, ethical decision-making skills such as critical thinking and communication were essential. The project team had to carefully analyze the potential consequences of their choices and ensure that ethical considerations were prioritized. Clear and honest communication helped build trust with stakeholders, ensuring that all decisions were made with integrity and fairness. If the context were different such as in a highly regulated industry the presence of strict policies and accountability measures might have led to a different course of action.
Teamwork and communication is key to being a good project manager.
Honesty, integrity and due diligence: Willams show his inability to function as a good team mate.
Karen and John on the other hand were open to ideas and criticism.
honesty and Inclusivity;
William failed to be a good team mate. He didn’t exercise team work by not carrying John and Karen along.
John was open with his ideas and perspective and open to criticism from karen. However, karen prioritized her self-interest over the project goal and success.
In the end, Karen redressed and was honest about her views on John’s ideas. This then led to their team work and solved project problems.
Honesty, integrity and due diligence. Williams lack of due diligence shows that he’s not fit to be a leader. John and Karen where able to sort of out the issue because of the effective communication skills they possess.
John and Karen’s approach to handling this approach is commendable. They navigated complex situations by prioritizing ethical responsibilities over convenience while respecting cultural differences. Their ability to recognize risks, seek alternative solutions, and act with integrity.
Honesty and Integrity: William wasn’t a good team mate he demonstrated his inability to carry the team along which led to the issue in the Project and Karen being new to the team prioritized her job over the project but thankfully she later realized what this could cause to the project and had a meeting with William to get the Project back on track successfully. Teamwork makes the Dream work!!